By Ruth Ross
What American playwright Neil Simon did for the middle class schnook in the second half of the 20th century, British playwright and actor Noel Coward did for the upper class in the first half of the same century. But while Simon poked gentle fun at the foibles of his characters, Coward used biting bitchiness to strip his characters of their pretensions but did it in such a witty way that we look past the fact that they are mostly unsympathetic people and find that we like them!
New Jersey theatergoers are in luck this summer. They can catch two plays by Noel Coward: Fallen Angels at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison in July and Present Laughter, currently receiving an elegantly inspired and thoroughly satisfying production at the Two River Theatre Company in Red Bank.
Written in 1939 and first performed in 1942, Present Laughter is a semi-autobiographical with characters based on Coward's friends (and a former lover) and a juicy starring role written for you-know-who. Charming, ego-centric matinee idol Garry Essendine considers his life to be a never-ending performance. He preens vainly, says yes to everyone (a trait that gets him into several sticky situations during the course of the action) and strives mightily to keep his "family firm" of five together despite the assaults by a sexy interloper, married to his producer but not averse to fooling around with his colleague—even Garry himself. Once again, we have another play about the theater—a meta-play, if you will—but one that is really about the universal themes of loyalty, commitment and love, that touch us all.
Director David Lee seductively draws us into the backstage world of Garry's inner circle, eliciting smart performances from all involved. The result is, as my companion said, part English drawing room comedy, part French farce and part Restoration comedy of manners—a truly delightful combination.
Tony Straiges' set design—an all-white Art Deco studio with four entrances—and Tilly Grimes' dazzling costumes (think bias cut satin dresses, frilly debutante gowns, and gorgeous furs and hats) take us though time and space to London of the late 1930s. To reinforce the effect, Ben Furey has coached the actors on appropriate upper class British (and one Scandinavian) accents that sound natural and convincing throughout the two-hour performance.
From the moment we see him silently smoking as the words and music of "Mad About the Boy" (a torch song written by Coward himself—about Coward himself!) are sung, Michael Cumptsy as Garry Essendine takes control of the stage. Always acting, his Garry is pompous ("I belong to the public," he says. "Everybody worships me—it's nauseating.") and self-absorbed, but Cumptsy manages to convey the man's inner loneliness, which drives him to shelter for the night some sweet young thing who has forgotten her latchkey or to see a young writer who has sent him a dreadful play to read. Yet this is a man who worries about his "family" of five; they all depend on him to bring home the bacon, for without his acting and being adored, they would all be up the creek. (Go 45 minutes before the performance for an informative “Before the Play” talk about Coward and his craft.)
This "family" (actually, his wife calls it the "firm") includes his secretary, his two producers and his estranged wife Liz. Veanne Cox (left) is the efficient and acerbic secretary Monica Reed, who organizes and manages Garry's life and loves him despite his shortcomings. She bustles around the studio, fending off hangers-on (when she isn't overruled by Garry) and even offers to stage an intervention when necessary. She is the true model of a loyal and trustworthy employee.
Mark Capri as Hugo Lyppiatt and James Riordan as Morris Dixon play two aging roués in love with Hugo's young wife Joanna. Capri's Hugo has no time for Garry's tantrum about a particular theater he's secured for a production, and Riordan's Morris is a silly middle-aged man making a fool of himself over an imagined love. The fifth member of the firm (counting Garry himself) is Liz Essendine, played with delicious relish by Kaitlin Hopkins (above, right with Cox). She and Garry may be separated, but the two share a loving bond. In Hopkins' lecture about Garry's reckless behavior, we hear the concern Liz has for him and the others.
The cause of all this upheaval is the interloper Joanna Lyppiatt, played with predatory élan by Leighton Bryan (right, attempting to seduce Cumptsy’s Garry). From the moment she enters, it is clear that this is a woman on the prowl, collecting romantic/sexual conquests like scalps. Bryan exudes a calculated sexiness as she goes after Garry, the big game in this jungle. Bryan may be a young actress, but she manages to convey a worldliness beyond her years. She is a joy to watch.
Hayley Treider's Daphne Stillington is a silly debutante who ends up in Garry's spare bedroom and thinks they are meant to be together; her character is clearly out of her league. Cole Escola (left, center) is hilarious as the young playwright Roland Maule, who “mauls” anyone who shakes his hand. The reactions of those on the receiving end of his vigor are priceless. And his spouting nonsense about the "theater of ideas" and his temerity to criticize Garry's choice of roles make his character extra annoying.
As Fred, Garry's whistling male servant, Richard Hollis brings a touch of the common man to this aristocratic nonsense, while Robin Moseley as Lady Saltburn is the embodiment of aristocratic snootiness. Camille Saviola's performance as Miss Erikson, Garry's housekeeper (and Scandinavian spiritualist), evokes laughter from the moment the lights come up and she shuffles across the stage, cigarette dangling from her mouth, to open the door. Laughter erupts every time Saviola appears, to the audience's delight!
Director Lee has used "Mad About the Boy" during scene changes by ingeniously having verses sung by Liz, Hugo, Miss Erickson and Monica—all of whom really do love Garry, "the boy" of the title. It is a lovely touch and a tribute to the multi-talented Coward.
Noel Coward's comedies may appear to be about a certain time, place and class, but they have at their core the basic human emotions, the yearning for love in particular. Once again, Two River Theater Company has mounted a tour de force production that will tickle your funny bone and give you a glimpse of life behind the theater curtain.
Present Laughter will be performed at the Two River Theater Company's Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, through June 30. For performance information, directions and tickets, call the box office at 732.345.1400 or visit www.trtc.org online.
By the way, theater lovers in North Jersey, Red Bank is just a 50-minute ride from West Orange (my hometown) down the Garden State Parkway to Exit 109. That should give you an idea of how far it is from your house. If you go to a Sunday matinee, you might want to wait a bit until the shore traffic traveling north lets up. There are lots of wonderful restaurants in Red Bank so take your time, let the traffic decrease and enjoy the show.
Top photo: Michael Cumpsty (Garry Essendine), seated at center, with from left: James Riordan, Richard Hollis Michael Cumpsty, Kaitlin Hopkins, Mark Capri, Cole Escola, and Veanne Cox.
Photos by Michal Daniel
